KNK January kit reveal #1

I am sooo in love with the papers in this kit! What's crazy about that is I would never have picked these papers out for myself. They look intimidating. The patterns are big and really bright. But *wow* did I have fun with them! Gerrianne really did an amazing job putting this kit together!

On this first layout I used several of the die-cuts from the die-cut sheet in the embellishment add-on, including some of the negative pieces. Because of the bright and bold patterns in the paper I chose simple photos that didn't have a lot of background clutter, and only one complimentary color. On the second layout, I again chose photos with uncluttered backgrounds; the solid blues of the ocean really pop against the bright papers and black background. I limited myself with embellishments here, since I wanted the different sized photos to stand out and be the focus, so instead I used a little glitter (Diamond Stickles) to add some emphasis.
I am looking forward to doing my next layout, because I have barely tapped the embellishment options in this kit. So much fun!

First Kit of 2010!!!

..... and is a beauty!! Full of rich, bold, vibrant colors and lots of swirly blingy fun stuff!!! Head on over to KNK and check it out!!

Cropping away!!

Come on over to FH2S for the last day of the crop! There are some great challenges and lots of inspiration..... this is my BINGO challenge: My color challenge:

And my Sketch challenge (thanks for the sketch, Deb!):

I hope to get a little more done today in between our tree-decorating and cookie-baking. Getting a bit of a late start this year, but better late than never right? Have a happy day :)

KNK December Kit Reveal #2

First, a double layout with what else? Snow pictures of course! All that beautiful BoBunny snowflaky paper most definitely calls for one layout with snow pics. The trees were simple enough, just punched strips of paper with a border punch (this is a Martha Stewart "Lattice" punch), layered them over tree-shaped cardboard, then trimmed the excess. A little Diamond Stickles finished them up. Next is a photo wreath. I apologize for the pic, I couldn't for the life of me figure out where to hang it where the lighting would be right, so on the piano it went. Step-by-step instructions for the wreath can be found on the Message Board.

Thanks for looking :)

"Floating" Letter Altered Frames

Welcome to the first stop on Kreative Kaboodles Holiday Hop! If you've come to my blog first, be sure to head back to Kreative Kaboodles and read the instructions.

My easy holiday gift idea is for the home. This incredibly versatile project can be made for any season, with any word, to match anyone's home decor! I chose a winter theme, as you can see here. Here's what you need to make this particular set:

3 4x6 wooden frames with metal tabs, no backs

1 sheet patterened paper

clear liquid adhesive such as Diamond Glaze

foam paintbrush

course-grit sandpaper (I used 60-grit)

embellishments, chalks, loose glitter

1. Distress your frames a bit with the sandpaper. Wipe the frames free of dust & debris with a lightly dampened cloth. Embellish your frames as desired. I used Tattered Angels Glimmer Chips altered with Diamond Glaze, chalks, and loose glitter. Set your frames aside to dry.

2. Using your die-cut machine, cut your letters from the patterned paper. Depending on your font, you may need to play with the height of your letters. I used my Cricut "Storybook" cartridge at 5".

3. Clean your glass, making sure the side you're adhering your letters to is free of any debris or fingerprints. A microfiber optical cloth works great for this. Don't worry about the other side for now, you can clean it later.

4. With your foam paintbrush, spread a THIN layer of Diamond Glaze (you don't want there to be any seepage) to the back of the first letter. Quickly place the letter in the center of a pane of glass. Brayer over the glass to make sure there are no air bubbles under the letter. I don't have a brayer, so I used a rolling pin. Repeat with the remaining letters & glass.

5. Clean both sides of each glass pane. If your frames are dry, add the glass to the frames, using the metal tabs in the frames to hold the glass in place.

This project cost me $6! I found the frames at Joann's for $2 a piece, everything else I already had in my stash. A fun project you can easily customize to suit the taste of your lucky recipient!

Next in the hop is Chris! Go HERE to see the beautiful project she has in store for you!

Click HERE for a free subscription to Scrapbooking.com Magazine! Here also is the link to my article in the December issue. Hope you like it!